


To Catch the Sun

by gim



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Phantom Thief, Chases, Comedy, Gen, Heist, M/M, movie logic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25788853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gim/pseuds/gim
Summary: Detective Vestra had to deal with a particular headache for months. A headache in a form of ostentatious thief targeting Adrestia's various artifacts and treasures. When the new calling card is placed right at his doorstep, he knows the games are over. He will get his hands on that thief this time, no matter what.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 18
Kudos: 69





	To Catch the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Ferdibert Week everyone!
> 
> This was actually written for a different project, where a bunch of writers was meant to come together and everyone would do their spin on one outline. That outline was phantom thief au and all it entailed - a calling card, a daring heist, a chase scene and confrontation, all the good stuff.  
> Sadly, it was never completed, but me and [Nuanta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuanta/pseuds/Nuanta) (who also beta'd this for me!) managed to finish our fics.  
> Since they work for Ferdibert Week Day 2 prompts of Secret and Fighting, ( ~~in my case Day 3 with Brush with death/Rescue also works~~ ), we decided to publish them now. Hope you enjoy!  
>   
> [Definitely check out Nuanta's fic!!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25825156)

_~~~~_

_Salutations,_

_This time I intend to obtain Adrestia’s Most Precious Jewel.  
Expect my presence at the strike of midnight._

_Signed, Duc du Soleil_

_~~~~_

Hubert gritted his teeth as he read the offending card again. The absolute _gall_ …

At first the calling cards were sent to the target of the planned robbery. Now it seemed that that blasted thief decided to cut to the chase and left it lodged in the station’s door. What was next? An envelope placed at the desk of the Deputy Chief? A letter pinned to the sofa in his living room? How long until this madman decided to take it too far?!

He groaned and rubbed his temples. The lack of a morning coffee was starting to show its effects. He got the call about the card while he was still in line at his favorite cafe - the only place in the three-mile radius that truly listened to his request to NOT leave any room for cream or sugar. Of course he had to abandon his spot and get to the station as fast as he could. He mustn't waste even a minute when that- that _criminal_ …

“I knew I’d find you raging over that card, Boss.”

A rasp of knuckles against the doorframe to his office was more of an afterthought. Detective Arnault sauntered into the room with a cat-like smile, unbothered by a glare sent her way.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Oh, nothing - just that you always get so agitated with this whole Soleil business.” She waved her hand dismissively, which only made him bristle.

“Given that that buffoon somehow managed to breach the station’s security and leave his calling card unnoticed at _our doorstep_ , I think I have all the right to feel ‘agitated’, as you’ve put it,” he snapped, already feeling an incoming headache.

There was another knock on the door before the head of his assistant popped into the office.

“Sorry to interrupt… I noticed you didn’t have your coffee when you came, so I made some. Hope it’s okay…”

Hubert instinctively relaxed his posture and schooled his face into something less aggressive. He would try a smile, but he remembered how she shrieked in horror the last time she saw him doing that.

“Thank you, Bernadetta, that’s very kind of you.”

She rewarded him with a shy smile before treading carefully into the room to place the mug on his desk. Her eyes fell on the card still sprawled on top of his paperwork. He couldn’t blame her - the accursed thing, much like its sender, was a real eye-sore. Thick, bright red cardstock with fancy golden ornaments in each corner, the swirly cursive of the message inscribed in golden ink… Just looking at it made Hubert’s blood boil.

“So what’s the target this time?” Bernadetta asked, tilting her head to read the note.

“Isn’t that the question of the week.” Arnault shook her head. “I looked it over before our dear Boss arrived, but it’s unusually vague-”

“He’s aiming for The Adrestian Ruby,” Hubert stated matter-of-factly, putting on his glasses to shuffle through the case file he prepared.

When he was answered by silence, he looked up to see the two women staring at him.

“It lines up perfectly with his hitherto _modus operandi_ ,” he explained further, but the only response was more blank stares. Hubert huffed in frustration. “Soleil only targets artifacts and valuables with particularly gruesome origins, one exemplary of the wealthy exploiting the poor. Recall The Pearls of Hrym case or The Arundel Golden Artillery. 

"Now, The Adrestian Ruby is the biggest documented precious stone on this continent, but the history of its excavation earned it another name - Doubly Blood-Red Ruby. The lord owning the mines at the time did not care for the safety of the people working there. Due to the lack of proper security, on the day the ruby was found, one of the bigger tunnels collapsed, burying over twenty miners alive. Honestly, I’m surprised it took Soleil this long to target The Adrestian Ruby, given his previous track record…”

Somewhere along this screed, Hubert stood up and started pacing the office. The already worn-down carpet was surely getting new grooves after that. 

“Our profiler theorised all of this stems from a warped sense of justice. Some… twisted moral code or belief of what true ‘nobility’ should be like. Granted, his ridiculous heists do seem to draw the attention towards the valuables in question, together with their cruel history. But only some delusional maniac would go to such extremes. What’s worse, not only is he delusional, but also cunning, given how he always manages to slip away - not to mention his newest stunt, planting his calling card right under our noses...”

Hubert finally turned toward his audience, looking for a sign that now they understood this perfectly logical conclusion.

They still stared, but not in confusion - Bernadetta seemed contemplative, while Arnault looked downright smug.

"What?" He barked, making Bernadetta jump.

"Oh man, you’ve got it _real_ bad," Arnault drawled, her grin widening. “This is such a classic arch-nemesis scenario. Please tell me that you have his portrait hanging on your wall, with knives lovingly thrusted into it.”

“ _Excuse me?!_ ” 

This was a serious multiple-burglary case, not some cheap detective drama. So what if his bedroom wall was decorated with the blurry photo of Soleil, together with red strings connecting it to various newspaper clippings and police reports - his home office had no more space for it, that’s all.

“Your face says it all! Ooh, this is too good!” Arnault actually clasped her hands over her chest in delight. If she wasn’t such an amazing agent, Hubert would've considered firing her for such behaviour on the spot. Unfortunately, she knew she was safe and took advantage of that. Luckily, he didn’t have to take it lying down either.

"Out. I need to make preparations to capture him once and for all."

The two women left, although Arnault seemed to be in no rush at all. Outside the office, Bernadetta turned her head toward Dorothea.

"Do you think this case is affecting the Captain's... health?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Dorothea smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"I just think our Boss is frustrated and needs to blow off some steam."

The forceful _clank_ of the coffee mug on the other side of the door signaled that she was very much heard.

\---

After going down to the security office to revise all the footage (and to have a lengthy talk with the redhead acting as the head of security), Hubert was disappointed to find that none of the cameras captured anything suspicious. One minute everything was fine, the next the calling card was stuck to the door like it belonged there. 

Grunting in frustration, Hubert returned to his office and pulled up all the information on The Adrestian Ruby. The calling card was a challenge designed just for him. All that vagueness, with no names, dates or places - as if Soleil handed him one part of the puzzle and dared him to figure out the rest. But really, The Adrestian Ruby was the only feasible option - even the head of security agreed with him. Call it a hunch, but Hubert didn’t become the Captain of Enbarr Police on luck alone. He spent the last two months researching various famous artifacts, looking for the ones that could be Soleil’s potential targets - he knew what he was talking about.

From there, figuring out the location was a trifle - The Ruby was part of The Enbarr City Museum’s exhibit, an impressive collection occupying all four floors of a 16th century building located in the city centre. With narrow alleys separating it from the neighbouring premises on all sides, it had several entrance points, all likely possibilities for Soleil to get in. _‘Knowing his inclination for dramatic performance, the man could just as well waltz in through the main door’_ , Hubert thought with a sneer. The Ruby was part of the “Earth Treasures” exhibition. More specifically, the precious stone was located right in the middle of it, proudly presented in the center of a glass display case. Very ostentatious, as far as Hubert was concerned - something right up Soleil’s alley.

Hubert wasted no time contacting the museum’s director to inform him about the threat, as well as discussing a security strategy. He studied the museum's floor plans beforehand, noting any spots in need of special attention. That’d have to be revised once he got there, of course, but for now it allowed Hubert to draft a simplified plan of operation.

The police reinforcements would assist the guards already patrolling the museum, with a few more people stationed outside on the lookout. Hubert and two officers would stand guard in the room containing The Ruby. Since they had to capture Soleil alive to wring the location of stolen goods out of him, Hubert instructed his men to opt for tasers or pepper spray when confronting Soleil. That didn't stop him from putting a gun in the holster fastened to his suspenders - he had to be prepared for any scenario.

Once the museum closed its doors to the public for the day, it was time for Hubert to step in. The curator took him through every floor, pointing out all the cameras and alarms. They even took a walk around the building, checking possible ways to get in. By the time the clock announced 11pm, Hubert was positive he had all the information he needed for tonight.

Time was moving at a snail’s pace, as far as Hubert was concerned. Multiple times he caught himself checking his watch only to see that mere seconds passed since he last looked at it. He blamed the usual rush that accompanied every stakeout - after all, it wasn’t like he was _eager_ to see Soleil. Rather, he couldn’t wait to apprehend that thief and take him down once and for all.

As midnight approached, Hubert tapped the mic set, proceeding with the last-minute check up on all teams. From the ground level, up to the top floor, unit after unit, nothing to report. That is until the group patrolling the west wing gave him a radio silence.

“Go check it out,” he instructed the officer closer to him, a pit forming in his gut. 

As the man left, Hubert checked his watch one last time. Just a minute before midnight. Did Soleil knock out his men on his way here? Was here trying to throw them for a loop by taking a roundabout way to get to The Ruby? Where…

The central window crashed open, and with it came two small round objects that now rolled on the floor, stopping between Hubert and the other officer. _'Shit!'_

Hubett had only a moment to cover his mouth before dense clouds of red and blue smoke filled the room. His eyes stung, filling with fumes, and no amount of blinking helped. To his left, he heard an unmistakable _'oomph'_ of someone getting knocked out.

"I am touched, really," a voice muffled by a gas mask said. "Such an impressive welcoming party, just for me."

“You!” Hubert said, and immediately coughed.

Even Hubert had to admit, a laugh deformed by a gas mask, accompanied by a soft sound of cut glass, sounded really creepy. At least it helped him locate the source. A yelp that Soleil let out when Hubert took a swing in his direction was all the confirmation he needed. Finally, the smoke bombs were depleting, the colorful haze lifting.

Hubert took a moment longer to clear his eyes, and when he looked toward the display case, Soleil froze with one hand reaching through a cut-out hole, fingers brushing against The Ruby.

They stared at each other for a fraction of a second.

“Um, hello,” Soleil said not-so-eloquently.

Then he used his free hand to yank the gas mask off his face (revealing his signature ornate face mask) and hurl it at Hubert. It hit him right on the nose and he involuntarily staggered.

When Hubert looked up again, both Soleil and The Ruby were gone. Cursing profoundly, Hubert followed the thief's footsteps outside the room, toward the west wing. At least his stupid orange braid now worked like a bright beacon, helping Hubert navigate through the dim corridor. 

The officer he sent out earlier was blocking Soleil’s path. _‘Perfect,’_ Hubert thought with a satisfied grin. _‘We have him in a pincer.’_

Still running, Soleil reached for a rod fastened to his belt. Without slowing down, he dived forward and, sliding on his knees, aimed the rod at the officer's ankles, knocking him down. Hubert had to jump over the man to avoid stumbling over him. He had no time to check on him, with Soleil already turning the corner. Hubert expected him to turn left and try his luck hiding somewhere in that wing, but instead Soleil headed to the staircase. Surely he must be aware all the entrances were guarded. Unless… Soleil was going… to the roof. 

Part of Hubert's brain chided him for such an amataur mistake of trapping himself with limited venues of escape. That is, the part currently not occupied by an agonizing realisation that Hubert also had to get on the roof to catch Soleil. The museum’s rooftop was used during the warmer months as an observation deck, with planters and benches scattered throughout. Even though Hubert logically knew it was perfectly safe, it didn’t help much. The mere thought of having to chase Soleil over 50 feet above the ground level made his insides lurch. Still, even his fear of heights wouldn’t prevent him from finally catching that blasted thief.

Gritting his teeth, Hubert picked up the pace and scaled the staircase leading up to the entrance to the roof. Taking a few breaths to calm his heart rate after such a mad dash, he reached for his gun and slowly opened the door. Behind it he found another narrow set of stairs opening up to the rooftop proper. Scanning the open space above him, Hubert took a few cautious steps up. He had to tread carefully, expecting ambush at any moment. Gun in hand, he peeked over the verge of the rooftop floor, eyes searching for any sign of his target. What he saw made his stomach drop.

Soleil was standing at the roof edge, leaning over to look down the narrow alley separating the museum from the adjacent building. If he was to tilt just a bit further…

“Step away from the edge right now. And raise your hands where I can see them.” 

Keeping the quiver from his voice, Hubert swiftly ascended a few remaining stairs to stand firmly on the deck, gun aimed at the masked figure. Soleil jolted before slowly turning around to face him.

“Hello again,” he greeted, leisurely raising his hands. “I am so glad you decided to join me here.”

Even in the dim moonlight, he was standing out like a sore thumb, with that ridiculous red-and-blue jacket lined with golden buttons. For whatever reason, he took his bloody time and put on his signature absurd tricorn hat decorated with a long feather. Hubert was getting irrationally angry just looking at the whole ensemble. How could such a pompous peacock cause him so much trouble? How could he be both a brilliant criminal mastermind and an utter _idiot_? And why bother with a full-face mask if you’re going to cut out a huge hole for your mouth, anyway?!

“Away from the edge, now,” Hubert growled through clenched teeth.

“Always so cold.” Soleil let out an exaggerated sigh, but finally took a few steps towards the center of the deck. “Not even sparing a breath to respond to my greeting. For shame, Captain Vestra.”

Years of training helped Hubert fight a nervous flinch. “How do you know…”

“Really now? The least I could do was learn the name of a person who seems so… invested in me.” 

Hubert couldn’t see it from under the mask, but he had no doubt Soleil winked.

“For once in your life, keep your blasted mouth shut,” he snapped, angier than he meant to. _‘Don’t let him get to you’_ , he scolded himself internally. _‘Focus.’_

Soleil shrugged. “Very well then.” 

And dived behind the wide planter.

Hubert whipped around towards it, only to see Soleil emerging from the other side, making a dash toward another pot. A gunshot rang out, bouncing off a spot where the thief was mere seconds ago. Another turn, and again the red-blue smudge hid behind another planter, getting closer and closer.

“Stop running, for fuck’s sake,” Hubert snarled as his second shot hit the pot, spraying soil in the air.

“Oh, you want me to stay so bad?”

When Hubert turned toward the voice, a roundhouse kick knocked the gun out of his hand, sending it flying. Another kick, to the chest this time, and Hubert reeled backwards, managing to stay upright by sheer willpower alone.

“Unfortunately, I must take my leave now.”

With that, Soleil was off, running at full speed towards the edge he studied earlier.

_‘Is he actually mad?!’_

Midrun, Soleil reached for his rod again and cracked it like a whip. With a metallic _click_ , it extended even further and he used its new length to pivot himself across onto the adjacent, lower rooftop. He rolled upon landing before effortlessly pulling himself up to a standing position, all in one swift motion. As if for emphasis, he threw his arms to the sides, not unlike a professional gymnast after finishing a routine. 

“I believe that is where we part ways for now,” Soleil shouted as he turned around before giving a deep bow. 

Even from that distance Hubert could practically see the shit-eating grin on his face. He wished for nothing more than to wipe it off, preferably with a fist.

“Shows how much you know,” he snarled, hands clenching at his sides. “You’re not getting away this time.” 

He squared his shoulders, his whole body tensing. Soleil put his hands up, visibly alarmed.

“No, wait-”

The pure adrenaline must’ve been coursing through Hubert’s veins, as without a second thought, he took a running start and leaped towards the neighbouring rooftop.

But adrenaline was not enough to make a successful jump.

His foot slipped on the edge and the last thing he saw before his vision was cut off by the wall was Soleil diving towards him, losing his hat in the process.

Hubert closed his eyes, bracing for an impact. But it never came. Instead, a pair of strong arms was holding onto his, a figurative lifeline he had to grasp tightly to avoid a messy end on the pavement below. 

“I got you.” 

The voice above him sounded… relieved? Hubert was confused.

 _‘Why are you doing this? Letting me fall would make your life so much easier,’_ he’d love to say. But he didn’t, as he was occupied with holding for dear life to Soleil’s arms.

“Why?” he managed to choke out instead, looking up in a futile attempt to read anything from the masked face - also to distract himself from the gaping chasm below.

That ridiculous braid dangled by Soleil’s face, gently swaying from side to side. At some point, it was probably neat and tight, but right now it was a mess, flyaway hair sticking out every which way. If only Hubert could focus the brain power occupied by the damn braid on getting out of this situation, he wouldn’t be hanging from the rooftop right now.

Soleil let out a huff and Hubert couldn’t quite tell if it was meant to signal his amusement at the question, or his effort to keep Hubert from plummeting to his doom.

“I cannot exactly let you die, now can I? Life without you chasing me would be ever so dull.”

 _ **‘That’s** your reason?!’_ Hubert wanted to scream. For a moment, he considered letting go and allowing the abyss to claim him, but Soleil’s voice pulled him away from this line of thought.

“Do you think…” A grunt, accompanied by a shuffle. “Would you be able to get some sort of purchase with your feet? I’ll try to lift you up.”

All the alarm bells in Hubert’s mind rang off at once. His panic must’ve been clear, because Soleil huffed again.

“Come on, don’t be stubborn! My arms will eventually give out, you know.”

Swallowing thickly, Hubert scrapped his feet against the brick wall. Bit by bit, he managed to bend his right knee and get the ball of his foot to rest against the surface.

“Got it,” he stammered, still not sure how this could help to get him on the rooftop.

“Marvelous! Now, I’m going to count to three and I need you to jump up. Can you do that?”

 _‘What?! NO!!’_ is what Hubert would say, but he only managed a strangled yelp.

“Great! One, two…”

Nononononono…

“Three!”

Hubert jumped. Grunting with effort, Soleil yanked him over the edge, pulling him onto the rooftop. The force of his pull made both of them topple over into a graceless heap on the rooftop floor, with Hubert sprawled on top of Soleil. They gasped in unison, staring at each other in shock.

Soleil’s braid came completely undone, splaying his orange hair like a bright halo. The mask obscuring his face miraculously stayed attached, but with his proximity, Hubert could see golden eyes opened wide, looking back at him with a mixture of alarm and bewilderment.

He probably should rip the damn mask off, so he’d finally be able to put a face to that bothersome, persistent existence plaguing him for months. He most certainly should pin Soleil properly to the ground and handcuff him for good measure. Hubert should do many things right about now.

Instead, Hubert was laying atop Soleil, too shell shocked to manage any sort of coherent or rational thought. That was the only explanation why his brain could only process that his hands were pressed against a warm, surprisingly well-sculpted chest.

Below him, Soleil managed to shake off the initial shock. The look behind the mask turned almost bashful as he coughed.

“Well! I believe we skipped a few important steps in our relationship.”

At least the sound of his voice woke Hubert from his daze.

“ _What?!_ ” he squawked, the word cracking pathetically around the edges.

In one fell swoop, Soleil grabbed Hubert by the shoulders and shoved him off, their positions reversed, with Soleil now looming over him.

“Don’t get me wrong, I will gladly continue next time we meet. After all, I meant what I said about obtaining Adrestia’s Most Precious Jewel,” he added with mirth, one finger trailing Hubert’s jawline.

Before Hubert could even make a sound, Soleil was off, swiping his hat as he ran.

“Until next time, Hubert!” he shouted over his shoulder before gracefully jumping off the roof and disappearing into the night.

Finally, the rest of the strike force spilled onto the rooftop. Some part of Hubert was thankful no one witnessed… whatever just happened.

“Captain Vestra, are you alright?” One of the officers offered his hand, but Hubert waved him off.

“Search the rooftop for anything. We had a bit of a… situation here, maybe something was left behind,” he barked, hoping that the redness of his face read more as an aftermath of a struggle than… anything else.

While his men were combing the perimeter for clues, Hubert fumbled with a box of cigarettes. Edelgard always nagged him that _“this shit will kill you before your work will”_ and he’d made strides to quit, but right now he needed _something_ to calm his fried nerves. Reaching to his breast pocket for a lighter, his fingers brushed against… something else. Brows furrowed, Hubert took out a small card with a golden sun printed on it, along with the smug words:

_~~~~_

_You had the honor of being visited by  
Duc du Soleil_

_~~~~_

**Author's Note:**

> [a bonus - Hubert talks with the redhead from security](https://twitter.com/gimladen/status/1293268579622834176)  
> \---  
> When you think about Duc du Soleil, I want you to picture a fusion of Ferdinand's post-ts outfit, trickster's costume from FE: Awakening and Mask☆DeMasque from Ace Attorney. Also by daylight he does the Lucina-as-Marth trick and pins his hair so they appear shorter.  
> \---  
> [@gimladen](https://twitter.com/gimladen)


End file.
